Gensokyo Railway Series 23 (Narrow Gauge Engines)
by Pergold
Summary: Gensokyo's new narrow gauge line has opened, but not without its problems, ranging from immature engines to vengeful oni. The new railway is full of new stories and adventures.
1. Prologue

It had been two months since work had started on the narrow gauge railway. By now the railway is complete and has been opened. This railway has a direct connection between the Kappa Valley and the Moriya Shrine. The line goes into a forest west of Kappa Valley where a type of station called a Halt lies beside the line. The line then loops around back to Kappa Valley. A line goes into the mountains where a slate quarry was built. There are three engines that work the railway, Stanley, Albert, And the Kerr Stuart 0-4-2 Tattoo, Jun'ya Ota.

On opening day, Remilia announced the railway open alongside Yukari Yakumo, Nitori Kawashiro (who drove the first train), and the inhabitants of the Moriya Shrine, Kanako Yasaka, Sanae Kochiya, and Suwako Moriya, all of whom took the first train. Yuugi Hoshiguma also helped to open the slate mine by digging up the first slate and loading the first truck.

The engines all worked hard during the first few days of the railway, that's when the Thin Shrine Maiden came to write some stories of the little engines, these are the tales the narrow gauge railway brings.


	2. A Bad Day For Albert

Albert one day was talking about his days on the Mid Sodor Railway, he was comparing the size of the shed to the shed he used to live with Duke.

"The shed on my old railway was bigger than this shack!" he complained.

"Well, I think its nice." said Jun'ya Ota.

"Beside the shed was Stanley, sitting idle, waiting for his next train.

"Stanley!" called out Jun'ya Ota, "What's your opinion of the shed?"

"Anything beats being in the back of the shed as a generator or..." Stanley shuddered, "...being in a mine."

That's when Albert's driver came up to him, "Albert, we need to take a passenger train from the forest halt to the Moriya Shrine, some youkai requested a train there."

"I won't, why can't Jun'ya Ota do it?" said Albert.

"Don't argue, Jun'ya Ota has his own train to tend too. No let's go!" replied the driver.

Albert reluctantly left to fetch his coaches, when he got to sidings where the coaches were placed he began to complain.

"I need to pull _real_ coaches, not these cattle cars!" he said.

"Oooooh!" said a sentient coach, "What a horrid engine!"

"I'm not used to these kinds of coaches."

He took the coaches and stopped for water and that's when he met Hiroto pulling some newly upholstered coaches.

"So your Hiroto? I've heard of you, your an express engines. I pull express trains as well, or at least I used too. Say aren't those new coaches, fancy you pulling those. I have to pull these cattle cars. I'd stay for a chat, but I have to leave. We engines must keep time you know!"

Hiroto was speechless! Albert pulled to the halt and picked some youkai and took them on the loop and back onto the line heading to the Moriya Shrine. The Moriya shrine had a station and a yard for both the regular sized engines and for the smaller engines. Albert's coaches were unloaded and he began to take a rest. That was when his driver informed him of some disconcerning news.

"We have to leave our coaches here. We're going to pull some trucks from the quarry." she said.

"I won't! So there!" Albert replied.

And just to spite the driver, Albert moved a meter or two and derailed himself.

"Told you!" he said.

By the time a breakdown train came, Albert felt silly for what he did. On board the train that came to help Albert, was the Scarlet Controller herself, Remilia Scarlet, she was brief but blunt.

"I will talk to you later!" she said.

The Scarlet Controller left to catch a train and engine that pulled the breakdown, Jun'ya Ota, left.

"Alright Albert, let's get you back on the rails." said his driver.

That evening Albert went into the sheds and waiting for him was the Scarlet Controller.

"Your a very naughty engine! I hope you can behave better once you come out of that shed!" and with that, the Scarlet Controller left.

We can only hope that he can behave better, don't you?


	3. Jun'ya Ota and the Yakitori Lady

One day, Jun'ya Ota was talking to Ruby, the maintenance diesel, about what had happened when Jun'ya Ota was sent away to be mended after his accident with the slate trucks.

"Well, while your gone. There was another engine brought to this railway. His name is Kirby." said Ruby.

"Who's Kirby?" asked Jun'ya Ota.

"He came as a spare engine after your accident."

"Is he useful?"

"He'll pull anything, and I'm sure he means well, but he's bouncy and rude. He used to work in a factory outside from Gensokyo and his language is often...strong."

"I understand." said Jun'ya Ota gravely. "So? What else?"

"Some youkai messed about with the track on the loop line. Its safe to go over, but not at high speeds." said Ruby.

Later that day, Kirby was going to take an excursion train to the Forest Hault on the loop line.

"Go easy on the track, Kirby." warned Ruby.

"Forget about it! I know, you damned diesel." said Kirby rudely.

"Don't say I warned you." replied Ruby.

"Stuff and nonsense you bleeding boob." and with that, Kirby left.

Kirby took his coaches and came to the station at the Moriya Shrine, that where he met Akemi.

"I try to mind my own business and that rusty renob rust bucket Ruby tells me what to do!" complained Kirby.

"That reminds me the time Ahiru-I mean, me. The time I sent a diesel packing!" lied Akemi.

"I like that. I show that Ruby what for! That's what she gets for telling me what to do." replied Kirby.

Kirby didn't know this as he was too new and didn't know Akemi all that too well. Akemi was known for bragging about himself and sometimes lied about himself.

As Kirby reached the damaged loop line, he became reckless and he rocked and rolled along the line.

"Steady!" said his driver.

"I'll show that diesel what a miserable c-" suddenly, Kirby derailed, having run over the bad bit of track.

"Ah, crap." grumbled Kirby.

However back at the yards, Ruby's driver was trying her best to get her to save Kirby.

"But he offended me! All he says are rude words and I won't help." Ruby said.

"But what about the passengers?" asked Stanley.

"What about the passengers?" replied Ruby.

"They'll become stranded on the line! Besides, defenseless humans out in the open in the wilderness like that, might get killed by some hungry youkai."

"Ugh! Fine, I'll do it."

Kirby was given a stern talking to from his driver and firewoman, and he felt silly for what he did. He soon heard Ruby's horn.

"Oh no." thought Kirby, "What is she going to do with me?"

"We're here to get you back on the rails!" called out Ruby.

Some workers came out of a coach and used metal rods to lever Kirby back onto the rails. After that, Kirby was much more careful for the rest of the day. That evening in the sheds, Kirby talked to Ruby.

"I'm sorry for what I said to you." said Kirby.

"Thank you for apologizing." replied Ruby.

"Can we be friends?"

"Sure, and I'll even repair that bad bit of track on the loop line. Starting tomorrow."


	4. Trucks!

Marisa Kirisame was riding her broom, passing by the mountain range that Youkai Mountain was a part of. She saw an orange diesel passing by on a track that was on a mountain road. Marisa swooped down close to the engine.

"I didn't know that there's a railway in the mountains here." said Marisa.

"Oh there is now." replied the diesel, "Who are you?"

"I'm Marisa Kirisame, _da ze_ , I'm just a magician looking around. What brings you this way?"

"I'm just monitoring the track, I'm Ruby, I'm the maintence diesel. I don't have much time to talk." said the diesel.

"Well done! Cheers and keep up the work, _da ze_." and with those words, Marisa left.

"Cheeky magician." said Ruby and she left as well.

Jun'ya Ota and Albert were glad to see that there's a new engine around, but Albert remained grumpy. He was still mad about being shut up in shed. He bumped the trucks around as he shunted them. Albert insulted hopelessly at the trucks and he insulted the workers. Albert would tell them to work harder and faster. Today, he was tired of dealing with the trucks. He stopped by and Hiroto came over to him.

"I'm tired of having to shunt trucks! I'd rather pull those cattle cars!" Albert said.

"Well, you couldn't work with the trucks _if_ you were ill, now could you?"

"Hmmm...That might be a good idea, Hiroto."

The next day Albert took Hiroto's advice and made himself not run properly.

"I'm not feeling well!" Albert said, lying in the process.

The railway workers had no time to check over Albert, not just because they had no patience with the insensitive engine. This meant that Jun'ya Ota and Ruby had to take his trucks instead. Jun'ya Ota took his coaches as well and went to the Moriya Shrine. Once he got there, he left his coaches for Stanley to take and took the empty trucks to the slate quarry, deep in the mountains.

To load the specially designed trucks, there was a tall incline, at the top of the incline is a winch. The empty trucks are tied with the strong rope that was attached to the winch and the truck were loaded at the top. Using gravity the loaded trucks go down and the empty trucks go up. Jun'ya ota waited anxiously at the bottom of the incline. Because the onis that work in the quarry were also the victim of Albert's insults they wanted him to be given some vengeance in their names. One oni in particular had an eyesight problem and couldn't see the engine at the bottom of the incline.

"I'll show that Albert to not call my mother a _kegareta baishunpu_!" said the oni with the poor eyesight.

"Come and get it! You _baka_ of an engine!" she continued.

One of the other onis noticed what was going on and tried to stop what would become a disaster.

"No! Don't! That's Jun'ya Ota!" said the concerned oni.

But it was too late, the oni with the poor eyesight dropped her tools and grabbed her _kanabo._ She swung her kanabo at the winch. The winch stopped with a loud crack! This caused the rope to become taught and stopped the trucks from moving, causing them to jerk the rope. The strong rope broke and both the loaded trucks and the empty trucks came running down the steep hill. Jun'ya Ota shut his eyes. The loaded trucks hurled onto and over Jun'ya Ota's front, causing his buffers and buffer beam to become mangled, his funnel was also cracked and it became slightly dislodged from the smokebox. Shards of slate pierced and cut his face. The empty trucks crashed in front of him and the much lighter empty trucks bounced off the wrecked trucks and flew over Jun'ya Ota, one of them hit a water channel and covered Jun'ya Ota in cold mountain water.

"Peep...Peep..." wailed Jun'ya Ota, as he whistled softy through his damaged whistle.

"Are you alright Jun'ya Ota?" asked Ruby.

"I hurt all over..." said Jun'ya ota, weakly.

It took awhile to clear the mess and Ruby shunted Jun'ya Ota to the sheds where Albert was resting. His boiler was dented and his funnel was severely damaged, leaning askew showing the hole where Jun'ya Ota's firebox ended and where his funnel began.

"I'm very sorry, Jun'ya Ota!" said Albert.

"Why didn't you warn me?!" said Jun'ya Ota, still in pain.

"I didn't think-"

"You never do!" said the Scarlet Controller.

This surprised Albert, "But...but...but, sir!"

"You lied to get out of doing work and you never warned Jun'ya Ota of what trucks can do. You'll be doing his work as well as you own, that will teach you to be sick! That is...if we could find work."

"What do you mean, sir?" asked Albert.

"Because you insulted so many of the workers, you angered an oni and she smashed up the quarry winch. Until that is repaired she is banished from the quarry and there is no slate coming in from the quarry."

This left Albert stunned, and then he started thinking...about Hiroto.

After the mess had been cleared from the quarry. Ruby went on the same track she meet Marisa. Marisa was flying by the track and Ruby honked her horn.

"What's that? Oh, its you...ummm..."

"Ruby, its Ruby, remember?"

"Well, um. Thanks."

"Cheers and keep up the good work!" Ruby called out to Marisa.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Marisa flew away.

"What day this has been, and its only been my second." said Ruby and she too left.


	5. Stanley Brings It Home

Work in the past week was few and far between, the winch at the quarry was so badly damaged and its accompanying rope now weakened, had to be replaced in its entirety. This made Albert's punishment less punishing. This also discomforted Stanley, who knew about what its like to be on a railway with little work.

"If this railway goes belly up, I don't want to be made into a pumping engine again!" he'd always say.

"Don't worry." said Ruby, "Things are going to be okay."

This comforted Stanley, but only a little bit. One day, the Scarlet Controller came and told the engines some good news.

"The new winch for the quarry is now built and needs to be installed. Albert, your going to pull the train that will carry it." she said.

"But that winch! Its too heavy!" complained Albert.

"Don't you worry about it, Stanley will help you."

With those words, the two engines left and picked up their cargo. The winch was placed on a flatbed, held down by ropes and chains with warning signs that read "Danger! Wide Load!".

"Are you ready?" said Albert.

"Yes." replied Stanley, and the two engines left.

The trip was easy, at first. Once they got to hills of the mountain range, the heavy load seemed to become even more heavy. Albert was in front of the train, gasping.

"When...will...we...get..to...the...quarry?" wheezed Albert.

"We will get there!" said Stanley, gritting his teeth.

Albert was so focused on trying to catch his breath, he didn't keep a good lookout. One minute he was on the rails, the next, he was half off the track and half dangling over the side of a steep mountain.

"Help! Help!" screamed Albert.

"I...am...trying!" yelled Stanley in reply, but it was no good.

Luckily the winch's weight held down Albert and he couldn't budge. However bad news came when Stanley's driver looked down at the controls.

"Water!" she said, "Stanley needs more water!"

However some tengus were watching them and saw what was happening. They came down and asked if they could help. The driver agreed and the tengus got whatever they could find, bowls, cups, pots, kettles, buckets, anything to hold water. The tengus used their natural speed to quickly help fill up Stanley's water tanks. In less than five minutes, Stanley's tanks were full.

Stanley gave one great heave and he pulled Albert back onto the track screaming, "AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Everyone heard Stanley as Albert was pulled safely back onto the track, Stanley's voice echoed around for miles.

"Th-thanks Stanley." said a bemused Albert.

"Its no problem." said a hoarse Stanley.

Albert's fire has beginning to run out and and some of his coal was given to Stanley. This meant that Stanley had to finish the trip by himself. It took a great effort to finish the journey to the quarry. It became late in the afternoon when Stanley finally arrived at the quarry. The driver was about to tell the owner of the quarry what had happened. But the onis and humans cheered as they heard Stanley's voice from far away, he was just that loud. The winch was unloaded and a round of _sake_ went around the workers and both the engines' crew in celebration of not only the new winch, but also Stanley's feat.

That evening, Albert and a very tired Stanley returned to the sheds. However the Scarlet Controller was waiting for him.

"Well done Stanley! I heard from Sanae and the quarrymaster about what you did, you screamed louder than anyone else when you helped to pull Albert from that ledge and I'm amazed at how you pulled that load _and_ Albert by yourself. For a little engine like you, you have the strength of an oni."

"Why thank you sir, it was nothing. I just had the willpower, the energy, and the determination. It would just be a shame if Albert tumbled down the hill and we would've had to use the winch to pull him back up." said Stanley.

"You are a very fruitful engine, you will have a new coat of paint and I'll put in a good word to Nitori to have you waxed and polished." said the Scarlet Controller.

"Why thank you, sir."

Stanley would appear the next day in the Bunbunmaru Newspaper as "The engine who thought was an oni!", his passenger trains would always be full of humans and youkai wanting to see Gensokyo's strongest engine. This would make the other engines on the larger gauge railway jealous. This also made Reimu Hakurei jealous as all her shrinegoers were going to the Moriya Shrine. Stanley became one of Gensokyo's most famous Engines.


	6. Epilogue

"So you have a famous engine on that other railway of yours now." said Henry Blake to Remilia Scarlet, the Scarlet Controller.

She was at Eientei looking to get some blood for herself. Remilia came with Sakuya to also stock up on some medicine.

"Yes I do, he is as strong as any oni and if he could have spell cards, be stronger than Yukari Yakumo!" boasted the Scarlet Controller.

"I wouldn't boast around, otherwise you'll end up like Frank Burns."

"Who's Frank Burns? Is he one of your MASH friends or something?"

"You _could_ put it that way. I don't know what happened to him, probably ruined the 4077th MASH when he replaced me or something of the matter, my plane crashed before I could get any word."

"Ah."

Remilia took a sip of some A+, "Hmmm...this does taste good, I'll get an order of this and some AB."

"AB+ or AB-" asked Henry Blake.

"Which ever you got more stock of."

Henry Blake got some bottles and gave them to the Scarlet Controller.

"Will that be all?" he asked.

"Yes. This will be it. I'm only touching up on my supply, I still have plenty."

"Right, well, good day to you, Ms. Scarlet."

"Good day to you, Henry."

The Scarlet Controller left with her head maid and left Henry Blake alone to contemplate about his days in the 4077th MASH, he checked the medical supplies and all the while was humming the tune of the song "Suicide is Painless".


End file.
